


Liar

by angstandcoffee (minatoarisatoast)



Series: Welcome to the Velvet Room [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 23:51:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12178917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minatoarisatoast/pseuds/angstandcoffee
Summary: [Takes place right after the protagonist frees his friends from their cells outside the Velvet Room.]





	Liar

“Shall we go? We can’t let our last big job end in failure!” Makoto gave him a small smile as they stood outside her cell, which now lay empty and dark. Joker nodded, but he was distracted.

He’d nearly saved everyone. Where was Morgana?

_ “It seems you have managed to save all of your teammates…” _ Lavenza’s voice echoed softly throughout the empty halls.

No matter. He’d find him, just as he’d found everyone else...right?

Everyone...else…

It was then that he felt a  _ presence _ . Something he’d felt many times before-- On his way to school. In Leblanc. In Mementos...in...Sae’s palace…

Something tugged at his heart, and he ran, leaving Makoto standing by her cell, her eyes following him curiously. 

Left, right. Right. Straight ahead.

And that’s when Joker saw him.

He sat slumped against the wall in a cell identical to those of his teammates. Akira felt a lump form in his throat, and his eyes burned with unshed tears as he reached through the bars.

“Goro...can you hear me?”

Akechi raised his head, just a bit, and smiled. He mouthed something, but Joker couldn’t hear what it was.

“You’re alive. You’re  _ alive. _ ”

It was then that he noticed the flickering translucency of Akechi’s flesh; a not-quite-thereness that caused Akira’s heart to sink like a stone.

“You’re...not really here, are you?” He sank against the deep blue prison bars, the iron cold against his face and hands. Akechi said something else, but Akira still couldn’t hear.

“I failed you.” A tear slid down his nose and he rubbed his eyes. His teammates couldn’t see him like this. Their confident leader, brought to his knees by a dead man.

He remained there for a couple minutes longer before drying his eyes with his sleeve and getting up. He had to go.

Had to…

Akechi spoke, and this time Akira could hear him, loud and clear. “It’s not your fault, you know that.”

“I should’ve done something. I could’ve saved you.”

“Not this time, no. You couldn’t have.” Akechi laughed, a bright, clear sound that rang through the hallways, echoing off the walls until Joker put his hands over his ears in an attempt to block it out.

The prisoner spoke again. A whisper, this time. “You should go.” Akechi pressed his face against the bars, as if that could help him see Joker better. He reached a hand through the bars, as if by trying hard enough he might touch him.

Joker turned away.

He walked away, slowly at first, then broke into a run.

Behind him, Akechi dissolved into dust.

_ It seems you have managed to save all of your teammates…  _  He could still hear Lavenza’s voice, echoing around his head.

_ Liar. _

**Author's Note:**

> this is sort of a self-indulgent work of what I wish had happened at this part. Akechi deserved better. how come everyone just....forgot about him? ;_;


End file.
